History Repeats Itself
by Crow Skywalker
Summary: It's the year 2006. Rosette is alive and living on her own, until her brother goes missing and her world comes crashing down around her. Upon meeting a beautiful stranger, Rosette is thrust into the battle between good and evil.
1. Chapter 1

History Repeats Itself

Prologue – In The Beginning

By Crow Skywalker

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Disclaimer - I do not own Chrono Crusade or its characters. I am writing this for my own entertainment and am not making profit in any way.

Author's Notes – I started this fic sometime last year on my old laptop, and I recently got into Chrono Crusade again. Anyway, I ended up finishing the first chapter finally, and it ended up way longer than I expected. Oh well. I'm sure you guys aren't going to complain. Anyway, this is my first Chrono Crusade fanfic, so be gentle. Reviews are very welcome, and if you find any spelling mistakes, my apologies. I did go over it and fixed what I could find.

Summary - It's the year 2006. Rosette is alive and living on her own, until her brother goes missing and her world comes crashing down around her. Upon meeting a beautiful stranger, Rosette is thrust into the battle between good and evil.

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It was a cold Fall night, the summer leaves turning different shades of yellow, orange and brown. Stray leaves littered the ground, and a gust of wind blew them into the air and across the dimly lit street. Most houses on the street were dark, many of the inhabitants haven gone to bed for the night. One building, however, still had its lights on, and there was movement inside.

"We're closing up!" A voice yelled from inside the kitchen of the small diner on the corner of the darkened street. He had raised his voice in hopes that the few stragglers whom were still in the diner at this late hour would hear him and take the hint. Peeking out, he saw them down the rest of their coffees and, after saying their good-byes, head towards the door. A soft jingle signaled that they had left. "Close up!"

A young woman, who looked no older than nineteen, came out from behind the counter and made her way to where the two men had been seated. She picked up their empty coffee cups and entered the kitchen after locking the door to the diner for the night.

"I thought they'd never leave," she sighed, turning on the water in the sink and letting it run until it was hot. After squirting some soap into the hot water, she proceeded to wash the dirty mugs.

The owner of the small diner, who was also the cook, grinned with a cigar between his teeth. "They wouldn't have if it weren't for me."

The girl frowned, rinsing the last of the dishes. "You know Ted, you really shouldn't be smoking that thing in here. If customers knew you smoked like a chimney back here, I don't think they'd come back."

Ted snorted, shifting the cigar to the other side of his mouth. "Rosette, do you really think I care if they don't?"

She grinned, brushing a strand of curly blonde hair out of her eyes. "Well you should! If they don't come back, then you aren't going to make any money."

Rosette was a nineteen year old university student, living on her own and working at the diner whenever she wasn't in school or studying. She lived just a few blocks down from the place, and had worked there for over a year to pay for school.

"I'm thinking about closing this place down anyway," was his reply. "I've told you this before."

"You say that almost every night," Rosette yawned loudly, looking at the clock above the kitchen door. It was two o'clock in the morning - she had to get up and go to school in a little over four hours. Her brother had once told her that she had to be crazy working such long shifts at night and getting up so early in the morning to go to school. She'd just replied that it was something she had to do.

"Well tonight I mean it!" He said gruffly, wiping his greasy hands in his not so clean apron. "I'm tired of this place! We don't even get much business."

"We get enough," Rosette said. She picked up her book bag, slinging it over one shoulder as she stared at the older man. If he closed down now, she didn't know what she would do. She was well paid for waitressing at the diner, tips were good, and she was close to her apartment.

"Not enough for my liking," the man frowned. He looked around the kitchen, seeing the mess that he still had to clean up. "This is gonna take a while." His eyes turned to her, "Are you walking home again tonight?"

Rosette nodded.

"Do you want a ride home?" He offered. "I can always come back and clean this shit up. I hate seeing you walk home so late at night."

"I'll be alright," she assured him. "I have pepper spray if anyone tries anything, and it's not like I've never gotten into a fight before." She smiled with a wink, holding up her fist, "I can bust anyone's face up with this baby."

"I believe you," Ted laughed, having been playfully smacked in the arm by the young girl before. She was no weakling - she packed a wallop. But still, he didn't feel quite right about letting her walk home alone at such a late hour. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She nodded to the mess. "You have a long night ahead of you."

"Looks that way," he muttered.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, then?" She asked, shifting her book bag as she headed towards the back door. She flicked the off switch for the front lights before her hand went to the door knob.

"Yeah, I'll see you," was his reply, and she turned the knob and opened the door.

The first thing she noticed was the pitch-black darkness of the night as she closed the door behind her. In the alleyway that she was in, there were no lights, besides the light of the full moon overhead. The next thing was how cold it was, and she suddenly regretted not bringing a jacket before she'd went to work.

With a sigh, her hands moving up to her arms to keep them somewhat warm, she started walking down the alleyway towards the street, following the pale light of the street lamps. She was glad to get out of the alley once she reached the street - it was always her least favorite part of walking home at night. There were so many stories; so many bad things that happened in dark alleys. She tried not to think about it.

Letting a small breath out that he hadn't realized she'd been holding, Rosette looked up at the street lamp above her, seeing the moon just beyond its light. In the light, she could see her breath crystallizing in the cold night air.

"It's colder than I thought it was going to be," she muttered to herself.

A cat yowled somewhere behind her, startling her enough that she almost dropped her book bag. Looking back into the alley she saw a garbage can topple over with a loud bang and a cat darted out of the alley and disappeared before she could turn around to look for it.

Frowning into the darkness, she began walking again, picking up the pace. Her heels clicked on the cement sidewalk, echoing into the night. The streets were empty besides a few parked cars, and every house was dark, the inhabitants having long gone to bed.

Turning a corner, she walked off the sidewalk and across the street, making her way north along a smaller, one way street. She kept her eyes on her surroundings at all times, listening carefully, though there was only the night's silence.

Walking past an abandoned two-story building, her heart froze in her chest as she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. She stopped abruptly, her hand going for the pepper spray, when a pale hand moved into the moonlight.

"Can you spare any change?" A voice asked, and Rosette watched as the shaking hand lowered slightly and an elderly man dressed in old ragged clothes stepped out of the darkness of the alley.

Keeping her hand ready in case she needed the spray, she searched her pocket. Pulling out a twenty, she handed it to the homeless man, who eagerly took it, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Use it to buy some warmer clothes," Rosette told him. "And maybe a blanket. It's only going to get colder from here on out. Okay?"

The man nodded. "Thank you, miss!"

She nodded in reply, continuing on her way, her apartment building becoming visible just a block away. It stood tall against the night sky, and if Rosette looked hard enough, she could see the light she had left on in her apartment on the twentieth floor.

Smiling at the thought of her warm bed waiting for her, she didn't notice someone walking towards her. Only when they passed her, their shoulder hitting her own as they walked by her, did Rosette look down in annoyance, her eyes narrowing.

"Hey, watch it!" She yelled at his back.

He stopped suddenly, and Rosette started to regret speaking out loud to him as he turned to face her. She bit her bottom lip, studying him in the moonlight. The first thing she noticed was that he was tall, and he hid a slim figure underneath the long trench coat that he wore.

"Sorry," he muttered, quickly turning away.

She watched his back as he started to disappear into the darkness, a strange feeling coming over her as she stared at him.

_I feel like…I've seen him somewhere before_, she frowned. She turned back towards her apartment building, unable to shake the feeling. With a shrug, she pushed it from her mind and walked up the front steps to the building, pushing open the glass doors and shutting the cold night out behind her.

With a tired sigh she started the journey up the flight of stairs that she had to walk to get to her apartment every day. There had been an elevator in the building at one point, but it had broken down months ago and, although the owner said he was going to have it fixed, it never had been.

_These stairs are going to kill me some day_, Rosette told herself as she walked up flight upon flight of stairs for what felt like forever. Finally she reached the twentieth floor and she let out a loud gasp of relief, her hand on her knee as she bent over huffing and puffing. "I'll never get used to those stairs!"

Her apartment was the third door down and, pulling the key out of her pocket, she started towards the door. It opened with a click, and Rosette stepped into her small apartment, closing and locking the door behind her.

It was a small place, the living room just big enough for a couch, a door leading to the kitchen off to the right, and on the left there was a door to the bathroom and a door to Rosette's bedroom. The apartment was only big enough for one person, and it wasn't Rosette's dream home, but for three hundred dollars a month, it was all she could afford.

Throwing her bag down next to the door and taking off her shoes, she immediately started stripping off her clothes, pulling her uniform up over her head and throwing it in the dirty laundry bag that sat on the floor. Her skirt went next, leaving her in just her bra and underwear.

Making her way towards the kitchen, she pulled the blinds shut in the living room so no one could see her walking around half naked. Once in the kitchen, she pulled open the fridge door and stooped down to get a better look at what was inside.

_Last week's homemade spaghetti_, she scrunched her nose up, lifting up the cover on the pot only to find a layer of fuzzy grey-green mold covering the top. _Yuck!_ She let the cover fall back down with a clang, leaving the pot where it was as her eyes searched the rest of the fridge. _Bruised apples, milk that went bad yesterday, and a bottle of ketchup…_

The young girl sighed, really wishing that she had money to buy groceries. Finally, she picked up an apple and took a bite out of it, standing back up and letting the fridge door close. Walking by the small counter island in the middle of the kitchen, she stopped briefly to check the phone's caller ID to see if anyone had bothered to call.

_Nope_, she scrolled through the numbers. _No one important, anyway._

Her next stop was the closet in the porch, where she kept her jackets and her old washer and dryer that gave her more problems then it was worth. Picking up the bag of dirty laundry, which she had collected throughout the week, she sorted through all the clothes - a pile of light clothes, a pile of dark clothes - before throwing it into the washing machine. Making sure her uniform was in there, she measured some soap and threw it in before shutting the cover and turning it on. The soft hum it made was loud in the quiet little apartment.

Entering her room - which consisted of her single bed against the wall, a small table with a lamp next to it, and a dresser on the opposite wall - she walked to her table, turned on the lamp, and she grabbed some flannel pajamas from her dresser and pulled them on. With a stretch and a yawn, she fell onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling before reaching for a book that she had recently been reading before going to bed every night. She was just about to open the book to the page that she'd been on last when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen.

_Is that the phone ringing?_ She wondered, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. _It's 3:00 in the morning…_

Putting the book down, she got out of bed and hurried to the kitchen. Sure enough, the phone was ringing, and she grabbed it quickly before whoever was calling her this late in the night hung up.

"Hello?" She held it up to her ear.

There was no answer, though she could hear noises in the background. There was a crash, almost as if someone had toppled over something made of glass, and a lot of bumping around.

Figuring it was a prank of some sort, Rosette's eyes narrowed. "Who is this? Why are you calling at this hour? Do you even know what time it is?"

Again, there was no reply - though now she could hear the sounds of someone breathing hard. As someone cried out in pain and there was another loud crash, Rosette pulled the phone away from her ear slightly, her angry expression melting into one of concern.

"Hello?" She asked quietly, not expecting a reply.

"Rosette!" A voice shouted, and Rosette winced slightly at the loud voice in her ear.

"Who is this?" She asked the caller.

Panting, a heavy cough. Then, "Rosette, you've got to get over here! They're after-!"

Eyes widening, Rosette finally recognized the voice on the phone as her own brother's. Suddenly very worried, she demanded, "Joshua, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

"They're after me!" Her brother's voice sounded loud through the phone. "I can't-"

There was a click and then there was only silence. Rosette's eyes narrowed and she pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in confusion. Then, she let it fall from her fingers, not bothering to pick it up as it crashed to the floor behind her. The back of the phone hit the floor and broke off, skidding across her floor and coming to a stop near the door, but she ignored it.

Swiftly walking towards the front entrance of her apartment, her pace picked up to a jog as she grabbed her coat from where it hung. Her heart pounding wildly in her chest with worry, she didn't even bother to change out of her pajamas as she pulled her coat over her arms, opening the door as she did so.

_Something's wrong…something's wrong!_ Her heart beat painfully in her chest and her mind raced. The call had disturbed her, despite the fact that she had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that someone was after Joshua, he was in trouble, and she was going to find him!

Not even making sure her door was locked behind her, she broke into a run down the hall, her coat flowing around her and revealing her flannel pajamas. Once she reached the stairs she practically raced down them, almost toppling over a few times before catching herself. Reaching the bottom step, she didn't pause to catch her breath.

_Oh please…_her mind raced, _Joshua be alright!_

It was still dark and cold outside, and Rosette panicked once she rushed out of the building and into the night air. Joshua lived about twelve blocks from where she lived, and if she were to run it would take too long. Looking up and down the street she spotted no one, and she mentally cursed.

"Where are all the city cabs when you need one?" She muttered bitterly, giving in and starting the journey. "Oh Joshua…wait for me, I'm coming!"

She ran three blocks before she saw any sign of life. While running past the slum part of town a man stepped out of the shadows, cigarette in his mouth. In the moonlight, she saw the glint in his eyes as she passed him.

"What's the hurry, baby?" He laughed, his voice a bit slurred. Rosette wondered if he was a leftover drunk from when the nearby bars had shut down at three o'clock. It didn't matter who he was or what he was saying to her though, because she ignored him.

He was having none of that. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the arm and swung her around to face him. Her eyes narrowed, her breaths coming out in uneven gasps as she watched him look her up and down. "Nice outfit you got there, beautiful. How much would it cost to get you to take those pretty pj's off to show me what you're hiding underneath?"

With a look of disgust, she pulled back her free arm and slammed her fist into his nose. He instantly let go of her, his hands moving to his face where blood the color of the dark sky could be seen running down his face from his broken nose.

"You bitch!" He yelled.

Rosette was running again, her heart pounding more than ever. It almost stopped as she saw a pair of headlights coming in her direction, and she quickly ran out onto the street, her arms waving in the air to flag the vehicle down. Behind her, the man grunted from the pain but did not give chase after her having seen the car headlights.

"Stop!" Rosette cried. "Please stop!"

As the vehicle neared she felt relief wash over her in waves. It was a taxi cab, and it immediately stopped to let her in. She dove into the vehicle, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash that she didn't even bother to count. "I need to get to 226 Flarity Street and I need to get there _NOW_," she told the cab driver.

Sensing her urgency and eyeing the cash that she had deposited in his lap, he hit the gas and sped towards their destination. Being the only one of the streets, and knowing that few cops were out at such a late hour, he floored it with little concern of being caught speeding.

In the passenger seat, Rosette bit her lip and looked out the window nervously. Dark buildings flashed by them, tall and monstrous in the dark. Noticing her reflection in the window, Rosette realized now that she was in the warmth of the taxi, she had been freezing outside. With little clothing on she had been quite exposed to the cold frosty Fall air.

The taxi driver seemed to read her mind. "Awfully cold to be running around in that attire," she chuckled, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Rosette frowned, not bothering to reply as she pulled her coat more securely around her.

They were only a block away now and Rosette could almost feel her heart in her throat. She wondered if her brother was okay, if he had been robbed, or maybe someone was trying to kill…

_No_, she scolded herself. _I can't think the worst! I just can't! Joshua is okay…I'll get there and everything will be fine!_

And then they pulled to a stop.

Rosette reached for the handle, opening the door and getting out without a word. Behind her, the taxi man lowered his head to look out the door at her and asked greedily, "So all this cash is mine, right? I can keep the change?"

Rosette ignored him, shutting the door behind her. The taxi pulled away as she stared up at the dark building that her brother lived in. Once again in darkness, she jogged up the steps and tried to open the main door. It was locked.

"Shit!" She cursed, tugging on the handle a couple more times. It didn't budge. _The night watchman must have locked it for the night._ Seeing an intercom off to the side of the door, she quickly pressed the button to buzz the security. "Hey! Anyone there?"

There was no answer for a moment and then, "Whom am I speaking to?"

The voice was masculine and a bit hard to understand through the static, but Rosette picked it out just fine. "I need to get into this building!"

"Miss, do you have a code?"

Rosette shook her head, but then realized he may not have been able to see her. "No, sir," she replied.

"Then I cannot allow you access to the building."

"Please!" She begged.

"Sorry, miss, but it's the rules. After 12AM you must have a code that lets us know you live in this apartment building. We can't be lettin' every poor soul who wanders by during after hours into the building."

"But my brother lives here!" She pleaded. "His name is Joshua Christopher!" She suddenly remembered something and began searching her pockets. When she found what she was looking for she searched the area frantically. "Do you have a camera out here? I have ID that I can show you!" She held up her ID, unsure if he could see what she was doing.

"Miss-" He began, but Rosette cut him off.

"I think something's wrong with my brother! I just want to check on him!" She cried desperately.

For a moment there was no reply, and then suddenly it seemed the night watchman gave in. There was a beep and a small flashing red light on the door, signaling that it was now open.

"Thank you! She called, entering the building.

Unlike her own apartment building, the one Joshua lived in was much nicer. It was well taken care of, freshly painted and renovated. Most of all, the elevator worked just fine. Impatiently pushing the button a couple times, Rosette waited less than a minute before the doors opened and she stepped inside.

_Floor 6_, she remembered, pressing the button. She silently prayed, looking up at the bright elevator light, that Joshua was unharmed. She didn't know what she would do if she lost her brother.

With a ding the door opened and she stepped out onto Joshua's floor. Taking a left, she ran until she found Joshua's apartment number. With her breath caught in her throat, she slowly reached out and turned the door knob. The door was unlocked, and she let it swing open with a squeak.

The apartment was pitch black.

With unsteady legs she took a step into the apartment, her arm reaching out and her fingers brushing against a nearby light switch. She flicked it up. She flicked it down. Nothing. For whatever reason, there seemed to be no power in Joshua's apartment.

Gathering her courage and taking a deep, steady breath, she allowed herself to walk further into the room. The only light that could be seen was the dim moonlight filtering in through open curtains in the living room. It was enough light to show Rosette that there had been a struggle - a lot of her brother's things were broken on the floor, and his living room table and his couch were tipped over.

Rosette silently brought her hand up to her mouth to muffle a sob. _What happened here? Where is Joshua?_ Panic overtaking her, Rosette ran to the kitchen, her eyes searching frantically.

It was empty. There was almost no mess in the kitchen, except for a pot of coffee that looked like it had been just made not too long ago. A clean cup sat on the counter next to it, and a couple of cookies were placed on the edge of the counter. It looked like Joshua had been awake for a late night snack before whatever had happened, happened.

"Joshua!" She finally called out, her voice strained with emotions in the dark apartment. She was half afraid that whoever had been in the apartment was still there. It didn't matter to her now - she had to find her brother.

Moving through the kitchen in the dark, she ended up in the hallway that lead to Joshua's bedroom. She made sure to check the bathroom as she went - it was empty - and she fumbled down the hallway in the darkness. The moonlight did not touch the hallway, or the bedroom. Blinds were shut tightly so that not one drop of light could be seen.

"Joshua! Are you here?" She hissed, eyes wide in the darkness as she stood in the entrance of the bedroom. She could see nothing, and she was about to reach for the lighter that she kept in her pocket in hopes of getting some light when a noise from the living room made her heart stop and caused her to spin around on the spot.

There had been a crunch of glass in the living room. Someone was still in the house.

Breaking into a run, she made her way back the way she had come. When she reached the kitchen she grabbed the only weapon she could find - a knife from the rack that Joshua kept for cooking. With the knife in hand, she exited the kitchen, now standing at the apartment entrance with a full view of the living room.

And she was not alone.

As her eyes adjusted to the light of the moon, she saw two figures standing next to the large, now open, window. The curtains fluttered in the night breeze, causing shadows to race across the floor. Her heart stopped as both figures stopped and looked in her direction, and she realized one of them held a limp body in their arms.

In the moonlight, Rosette could see that the figure that held the body - which she was quite sure was Joshua - was tall, and had long, flowing hair. What was strange about it was, it was the color of silver, and in the light, it almost looked white. The other strange thing that Rosette noticed about him was that he had long, pointed ears, and what looked like strange markings on his face. He wore strange armor-like clothing, and on his back he carried two large black wings.

"What have you done to Joshua?" Rosette bit out, her eyes traveling to the unconscious boy in his arms. She ignored his companion for the moment, more concerned if her brother was alive or dead.

"Ah, Miss Christopher," The man who was not really a man, smiled. "Strange seeing you here."

"Give…give me back my brother!" Rosette's eyes narrowed and she held up the knife, shakily holding on to it with both hands. In the moonlight it glinted, but the man - no,_ monster_ - before her didn't seem too concerned about the sharp utensil.

He chuckled, his hair swaying around his face, and, ignoring Rosette's protests, he made his way to the large open window. With one leg on the windowsill and his large wings open, he turned his head to her and smiled, two fangs glinting in the light. "Seems history really does repeat itself, huh?"

And then he was gone.

Rosette felt the need to rush forward, to see where they went, but she reminded herself that she was not alone, that there was still another monster in the room with her. Her eyes narrowed and her expression turned quite deadly as she looked at the silver man's companion, who seemed quite intent on staring at her.

Until now, Rosette could not quite make out his features, but it seemed he had shifted out of the dark shadows and more into the light. He was tall, just like the other monster had been, and held the same strange marking and ears. Large black wings were folded behind his back, and he had long, dark violet hair that hung into his handsome face and almost covered his glowing yellow eyes.

Rosette turned the knife on him, glaring at him in hatred.

He blinked, looking almost confused for a second.

"Where has he taken him?" Rosette bit out, her teeth clenched in anger. When the stranger said nothing and continued to stare at her, she demanded, "Tell me!"

He took a step forward, then another. Rosette stumbled backwards, losing the knife. She cursed herself for being so clumsy, and her eyes didn't leave the stranger's face not once. Now that he had stepped fully into the light, she found she could not look away.

He was standing in front of her within seconds, his tall form blocking the moon. Slowly, with a curious gaze, he reached a hand out and moved her chin upwards so that she was forced to stare into his eyes. He gently moved her head slightly to the left, then slightly to the right. Finally he asked, "Why is it that you look so familiar to me?"

Rosette was wondering the same thing, but decided against opening her mouth to this - this _demon_.

He studied her for another moment, both of them staring at each other silently, though Rosette's gaze was a bit more defiant, her eyes still narrowed at him. Why she was letting the monster touch her like he was, she had no idea. He had helped in the kidnapping of her brother, after all - what she _should_ have been doing was lashing out at him with all her might.

She was about to open her mouth when she saw him leaning in, and her eyes widened and her heart started to pound hard in her chest as she suddenly pictured him kissing her in her mind. It looked like that was his intention until there was a click behind them and his head snapped up, his eyes narrowing at something behind her.

"Back away from her slowly," a masculine voice stated, and the monster let go of Rosette. "Good, now-"

Before he could finish whatever he was about to say, the demon had moved so fast that Rosette was sure she had blinked and he had disappeared. Only the curtains fluttering from where he had exited told that he had truly raced across the room and exited out the window. Rosette stared for a moment, falling to her knees.

"Are you okay?" The voice behind her asked, and the man moved so that he was standing beside her. He held a gun in his hand, now lowered, but he was looking warily around the room. Rosette recognized him as the man she had bumped into earlier that night on the street. He was still wearing the same long trench coat, but now it was obvious he wore it to conceal the weapons he kept on him.

Realizing she hadn't replied yet, she found herself nodding. Then, her heart sped up as she remembered her brother. "They took Joshua!" Her eyes widened and she looked almost hysterical as she grabbed hold of his long coat. "They took him!"

The man kneeled down, placing a hand on Rosette's shoulder in a way that he hoped was somewhat comforting. "It's okay," he replied, his eyes still flickering around the room, "We'll find him. Until then, I have somewhere safe for you to stay. Come, child."

He held his hand out to her and she took it. She was lost in her own thoughts, her gaze on the floor and her blonde hair covering her face in the darkness. From next to her it registered that the trench coat man had just introduced himself as Father Ewan Remington, and he was asking her about her own name.

Brushing the hair out of her eyes, she looked up at him with a grim expression, her bright blue eyes catching his own, and suddenly she found him staring at her very oddly. Despite the odd look, she forced her mouth to move, "My name is…"

"Rosette Christopher." He finished for her, and her eyes widened slightly. "You're Rosette Christopher…meaning the brother you spoke of…"

"Joshua," She supplied for him, grabbing hold of the front of his jacket. "His name's Joshua, and we have to find him."

Ewan Remington ran a shaky hand through his hair as he stared at the girl in front of him in awe, not sure what to say to her or what to do. She was supposed to be dead, not standing there in front of him looking very much alive. She's died so long ago…why was she there now? He had no answer to his question, nor the time to ask her. He did know, though, that he needed to get her somewhere safe, and quick. Then he would be able to ask her the questions that now clouded his mind.

"Come with me," he instructed, and he took her by the arm.

To be Continued…


	2. Pictures of the Past

History Repeats Itself

Chapter One – Pictures of the Past

By Crow Skywalker

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Disclaimer - I do not own Chrono Crusade or its characters. I am writing this for my own entertainment and am not making profit in any way.

Author's Notes – I recently got my laptop back from the shop, and I was off work today and felt the urge to write. So, here's another chapter to this fic. Sorry it's taken so long time update.

Summary - It's the year 2006. Rosette is alive and living on her own, until her brother goes missing and her world comes crashing down around her. Upon meeting a beautiful stranger, Rosette is thrust into the battle between good and evil.

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Two days had passed since the incident that had _temporarily_ – as Rosette liked to refer it to, because she _would_ get her brother back, _no matter what_ – left her without a sibling. In that time, the man who had introduced himself as Father Ewan Remington had taken her back to his own place. He'd sat her down, given her some warm blankets and some hot cocoa, and had let her rest for the time being. Several times she had opened her mouth to ask him questions, but each time she thought about it, she cold not find any words for what had happened.

Demons had taken her brother, that she was sure of. Or was she? They certainly hadn't been normal human beings. Normal human beings did not have wings, nor did they fly out of apartment building windows into the dead of night. Another voice in her head was telling her that she was crazy, that there was no such things as demons or monsters or whatever they had been. If that were true, had she dreamed it? But if it were all a dream, why was Joshua missing?

Rosette's mind raced, even when she slept. In her dreams there were always horrible images waiting for her, the fear of the monsters returning and for her own brother's life caused her to twist and turn at night and woke her up multiple times during her stay at the Father's house. She had woken up crying for her brother quite a few times, and she was glad that Father Remington had kept his distance from her for the time being. She was a mess, and she was certainly wondering if she was losing her mind.

In another part of the apartment, away from the living room where Rosette currently slept on the couch, Father Remington had torn apart his room in search of something. The floor was covered with emptied boxes, their content spilling out and littering the floor. Tattered papers from years and years ago up until current time lay about in mounds, the colored paper ranging from white to dusty faded yellow with age. Old pictures and books were scattered about the mess, and his entire closet had been emptied onto the floor.

In the dim light of his bedside lamp, Father Remington kneeled by an open box that he had set upon his bed. He's been searching for something, anything within his collection of belongings, that he could use to prove to himself that he was not crazy, that the young girl asleep on his couch was indeed the Rosette Christopher that he had known in the past.

So far, he had not been able to find anything. It had been so many years ago since Father Remington had last seen the girl, and his memory of her had long since become hazy and faded away. He knew they looked somewhat similar, and they certainly had the same names, but he wanted some proof to make sure.

Picking yet another picture out of the box laid upon the bed, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at the figure in the picture. She was dressed in her nun outfit, her long light violet hair freely blowing in the wind. One of her hands was raised to give a peace sign, and there was laughter apparent on her face. _Azmaria_ _Hendric_, he thought with a sigh, and felt the memories of the past return.

Despite the death of her two best friends, Azmaria had made the most out of her life. After working several years for the Magdalene Order and becoming quite an elite exorcist – or so he'd heard from the rumors, anyway – she'd ended up with a ring on her finger from non other than Joshua Christopher. The young man had never regained all of his memories, but for years Azmaria had been by his side and had taken care of him until he was well again.

Father Remington had received an invitation to the wedding, but he'd been in Spain at the time. He hadn't made it back in time, but he had sent them a letter to congratulate them on their marriage. Ironically, the next thing he pulled out of the box was the white wedding card that he had received. He laid it down on the bed, next to the smiling picture of young Azmaria.

There were a few crayon drawings of different things that Joshua had drawn during his time in the hospital, and some, even before that. In most pictures there was a drawing of a young blonde girl standing next to Joshua, but he had never known who she was after he had come back to his senses. She had always been in every picture, but she never had a name. Those pictures, too, went with the other ones on the bed.

Reaching back into the box, his breath held as he pulled out yet another picture. It was a picture of four figures, all smiling happily at the camera. The first figure he recognized as Azmaria again, only she was a lot younger in the picture. There was an older, taller woman not too far away, who Father Remington couldn't quite remember the name of. However, it was the two figures in the middle of the picture that caught his attention, and he instantly knew this was what he had been looking for.

Rosette Christopher stood out, grinning wildly as she stood next to her partner, the Sinner Chrono. She had been the first and only nun to ever make a contract with a devil, and she held the same blonde hair and blue eyes as the girl sleeping soundly in the living room. Same exact face, same figure – the only difference this time around was that Rosette was now slightly older, untrained, and had never known that there actually were monsters until now.

Looking past Rosette, Father Remington's eyes studied the devil standing next to her. His smile faded and he looked at the figure grimly, taking note of his dark violet hair and red eyes. The devil that he had glimpsed of at Joshua's apartment had the same hair and eyes, but that was impossible, right? It was entirely possible that reincarnation could happen, especially to someone as pure hearted as Rosette Christopher, but to a devil outcast? Impossible.

Holding the picture in his hand, Father Remington stood on unsteady legs. He's been sitting for so long that he got pins and needles, but he ignored it as he exited the room and made his way down the hallway and into the living room. Rosette was tossing and turning, the blankets that had once covered her now falling off onto the floor. Father Remington looked to the girl's face, then to the picture once more.

There was no doubt about it. The real Rosette was right before him, reincarnated into a new life that, up until now, had been quite peaceful.

With a heavy sigh, he sank down into a chair, the only light in the room shining in from behind him from the moon outside. In the moonlight, her face looked almost angelic, and Father Remington felt a pang in his heart. It seemed that somehow, history was repeating itself, and Rosette's life was now thrust into the battle once again. Briefly, he wondered what he was going to do with the poor girl. She was incredibly untrained mind and body, and the Magdalene Order had all but disappeared. Nobody believed in demons or devils anymore, and a lot of people didn't even believe in the power of God these days. The Magdalene Order had dwindled away to practically nothing – or that's what he had heard, anyway.

_I need to take her somewhere safe,_ he realized, looking around his apartment. If any devils were to show up here, he would not be able to defend himself and the girl. He did not own the right firearms or equipment, and he could not take the chance of letting them get the girl. No, he would have to move her. Soon.

As if sensing his presence, Rosette stirred in the moonlight, her arm stretching over her head as she sleepily stretched. Crystal blue eyes blinked open, roaming around the room until they settled on the figure sitting across the room in the dark.

"I dreamt of a tomb in the dark," she said quietly. Then, silently, she turned over on her side. "It was underground, and there were no lights. It smelt of earth and decay, and I thought I was trapped." She paused of a second, her eyes closing. "When I'm not having nightmares, I'm having weird dreams." She took in a shaky breath, "The weird dreams…it feels like I'm supposed to know what they mean, that they're trying to tell me something, or show me something…but I really have no idea…"

"Rosette, I think we need to leave here." He told her, wondering what her dreams were possibly telling her. She sat up on the couch as he spoke, looking at him with wide eyes. "Early tomorrow we will leave my apartment and head for your's. I need you to pack your bags, I'm taking you someplace safe."

Rosette nodded in understanding. She knew she really shouldn't be trusting this stranger, but deep down she felt that she could. Somehow she knew he would not hurt her, and that she should listen to what he said. As weird as it felt and sounded, Rosette felt a sense of familiarity around him, even though she had only met him just the other night.

"Do you," She started, but paused, biting her bottom lip, "Do you think they'll come here? Those…things?"

Father Remington leaned forward in his chair, his elbow on his knees and his fingers templed in front of his face. "Rosette, I'm going to tell you some things, and I need you to trust me on this, okay? Everything I'm going to tell you is the truth – I'm not going to lie to you." He watched as she nodded. "What you saw that night – you saw a devil, a real flesh and blood devil. A demon of the night, creature of darkness, whatever you wish to call it."

He watched for her reaction, but found none. She accepted it as simply as that, as if she had known all her life that there were creatures out there other than the human kind. Perhaps this wasn't going to be such a difficult task after all?

"He took your brother, for some reason unknown…" Father Remington paused, and then his eyes widened slightly as he thought of something. "Rosette, has your brother ever been…sick?"

"What do you mean, sick? Like, with the flu?" She asked, her voice becoming louder and less whispery as she became less tired and more alert.

"No, I mean like he was weak, bedridden, didn't have any energy…could have lasted for quite a bit of time?" He offered.

Rosette blinked at him, looking a little lost as she replied, "When Joshua was young, he was very sick." She glanced down at her hands in her lap. "We really didn't think he was going to pull through, really. But over time, he got better…and he hasn't been sick in years." She looked back up at the strange but familiar man in the chair. "But, how did you know? You've never met me or Joshua, and it was never something he liked to talk about…he didn't like people knowing about it, that he was a weak child."

"I'll answer that question in good time, but I think we now know why the devil took Joshua," he replied calmly.

Rosette looked doubtful. "Because he was a sick child?" She asked steadily, in a disbelieving tone.

"There is something about Joshua that drew that devil to him, and I think it has something to do with that." He held up his hand to stop Rosette from interrupting. "I will find out more information on it where we are going, and when I do, I will let you know."

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"I'm hoping to find what's left of a group that I used to belong to. They exceed in exorcism and fighting whatever evil they come up against. If I can track down what's left of the organization, I might be able to help you. They should have all of the materials we need, and I'm sure they will help us."

There was a moment of silence, in which Rosette was the one to break.

"I want to fight."

Father Remington raised an eyebrow, more out of amusement than amazement. He was sure he had heard her say those exact words, years and years ago under the exact same situation. That time, too, he had taken her to the Magdalene Order and taught her how to be an exorcist. This time, however, he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea.

"You don't know what you're up against, Rosette." He sat back in the chair, turning his head to look out the window. "Fighting a devil isn't like fighting a regular person. He'll be strong, fast, and precise…and you, my dear, are not trained to fight this kind of thing. Where we are going, there should be some professionals to help us find your brother."

Rosette was on her feet in seconds, the rest of the blankets falling off of her and crumpling to the floor. She stood in the same pajamas that she had worn the night her brother disappeared, and she held the same angry expression she had had upon her face when she had faced the devils. "I will train, then!" She announced, her voice firm and unrelenting. "I will train, and I will help fight the devils that took my brother!"

Father Remington looked into her eyes and saw her determination. He sighed, knowing there was no fighting this. "It won't be easy…"

"I know it won't be easy," She replied. "But I will do what I have to do to get my brother back. And if that means training to fight the devils…"

"Why do you keep saying devils?" Father Remington interrupted suddenly. He's heard her say it a couple of times now, and as far as he knew…"There was only one there that night."

Rosette shook her head, her blonde hair shining in the moonlight. "No, there were two. You must have missed the first one…"

The older man's eyes widened, and he pushed himself off the chair as he stood in front of the younger girl. "There were two? Did you happen to see what he looked like?"

All this time Father Remington had figured a stray devil had caught wind of some information on a certain boy, and that's why Joshua had been kidnapped. Now, he was finding out there was more than one devil behind this, which meant that this could mean something much larger than it initially had.

"Yes," Rosette replied, moving across the room to look out the window. "I didn't see him for long, but I saw enough. He looked like the other one, only his eyes were a different color, he had different markings, and he had the longest-"

"Silver hair you'd ever seen?" Remington finished, his back turned to her.

Rosette turned to him. "How did you know?"

Slowly, he turned to face her. "Because I've been searching for him for centuries," he replied quietly. "And if what you say is true, we must leave here first thing in the morning." He briskly walked to the front entrance, leaving Rosette trailing behind him. She watched as he put on his boots, the whole time wondering why the information on the silver haired devil bothered him so much.

"Where are you going?" She asked, somewhat startled that he seemed to be leaving her.

"I need to check out something," He told her. "You need your rest. I'll be back in the morning, and we will leave. You should be safe here until I return."

With that, he opened the door and left, Rosette still standing in the entrance looking very confused.

Deciding it was best to do what she'd been told, she headed back to the couch and laid down, staring at the ceiling.

_Centuries?_ _What did he mean by that?_

Sleep did not come again until the sun showed signs of rising in the early morning hours.

To Be Continued…


	3. New Home

History Repeats Itself

Chapter Two – New Home

By Crow Skywalker

--

Disclaimer - I do not own Chrono Crusade or its characters. I am writing this for my own entertainment and am not making profit in any way.

Author's Notes – I've had this chapter pretty much finished for a while, I just didn't know how I wanted to end it. Not really happy with the ending, but I didn't want to add any more.

Summary - It's the year 2006. Rosette is alive and living on her own, until her brother goes missing and her world comes crashing down around her. Upon meeting a beautiful stranger, Rosette is thrust into the battle between good and evil.

--

They had found the door to Rosette's apartment left ajar, sunlight pouring in through the crack and casting light on the hallway floor. Rosette could not remember closing the door, nor could she remember leaving it open in her rush to get to her brother's apartment, but Father Remington took precaution anyway and was first to enter. With a gun held in the air, he gently pushed the door open and Rosette winced slightly as it made a squeaking noise as it opened all the way.

Someone had been there, and it was very apparently so. Her apartment could almost be written off as 'trashed', but not everything was toppled over and littering the floor. It was most papers, pictures, books, anything that could give someone information on the life of Rosette Christopher. Rosette stepped through the sea of mess, eyes wide and staring as she slowly walked through her apartment. Picking up a piggy bank on a bookcase in her living room, she frowned as she shook it and money jingled inside.

"Well, I can't exactly say I was robbed," she said, more to herself. "They didn't take anything that had any worth."

"They took what they thought was important," Father Remington replied. "It looks like they could quite possibly know everything about your entire life by now, Rosette. I wouldn't doubt that they've been here for the past two nights going through this stuff, and they'll probably return again tonight." He moved to sit down on Rosette's couch. "Quickly, pack your things."

Rosette did as she was told, making her way into her room. Finding a bag in her closet, she laid it on the bed and began to gather as much of her clothes as she could fit in the small bag. With that done, she bit her lip in thought before she quickly reached under the bed and hauled out a wad of money that she had been saving up and hiding there. The piggy bank would also be going – she figured she needed as much money as possible.

Her bag packed and ready to go, Rosette sunk down onto the bed and put her head in her hands, silently wondering why her life had become such a mess. What was she going to do about school now? She'd certainly paid for it, and couldn't get her money refunded. What of her job? They'd probably been calling her non-stop for two days now. And just how exactly was she going to find Joshua and save him?

With a small sob she ran her hand through her hair, looking up and finding herself staring at her own image in the mirror across her room. She looked haggard with dark circles around her eyes. Her hair was a mess due to the fact she hadn't brushed it in days, and she was still in the pajamas from that night. With a sigh, and a firm set of determination, she decided Father Remington could wait for her – she needed a good shower.

Grabbing a towel from the closet in the hallway, she headed into the bathroom in hopes of cleaning herself up and making herself look more presentable. She was, after all, about to be taken 'somewhere safe', as Father Remington had called it, and she sure didn't want their first impression to be that she was a dirt bag.

Locking the door behind her, she laid her towel down on the closed hamper and ran a hand through her tangles of hair. Within moments she had stripped out of her dirty pajamas and had stepped into the cold bathtub. The rush of cold water was soothing and made a shiver run up her spine, and when she decided she'd had enough of the cold feeling, she turned the knob until the water up until it almost burned. Relaxing, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back, letting the soothing feeling take over.

--

Father Remington sat on a couch in the living room, his eyes wandering around the room. His mind was so lost in thought that it only briefly registered that Rosette had not returned and that the shower was running. His eyes caught sight of a framed picture on a stand across the room, and he realized a younger Rosette and Joshua were smiling back at him. They looked just like the children he had met so many years ago.

He stood, his feet rustling through the many papers littering the floor. Glancing down, he noticed a page from what looked like a photo album. Whomever had found it had ripped the book apart, and, bending down, Remington found that it was a page from Rosette's earlier, younger years.

_Baby pictures._ He smiled, looking at the two siblings in the picture. They were about a year old, maybe younger in the picture. An older woman was holding them both as she rocked them in a chair, and Remington wondered if Rosette had been blessed with parents in this life. His question was answered as he spotted a piece of paper not too far away on the floor, and his smile turned grim.

Adoption papers.

He bent down to look at them, wondering why Rosette had ended up with the same fate she had had in her past life. The papers simply read that Rosette had been found as an infant, and there was no formation about the whereabouts of her parents. She had, however, he noticed, been adopted by a woman at the age of sixteen. A picture of the woman was paper clipped to the paper, and Remington took a good look at her.

"I'm ready to go," a voice said behind him, and Father Remington was surprised he hadn't heard her enter the room. He turned, the papers still in his hands, to look at her. She wore her blonde hair down, her bangs slightly obscuring her bright blue eyes. Dressed in a purple shirt and navy jeans, she looked like any other normal teenager. In one hand she carried a blue bag that was all of the belongings she wished to bring, and in the other, a pair of roller blades dangled.

He forced a smile as he looked at her, then glanced down at the papers in his hand. "Is this your mother?" He asked, hoping she didn't think he was prying too much. He was merely interested in knowing about this new Rosette, how her life had been as a child compared to the past.

Rosette didn't respond for a moment, simply ignoring his question and walking past him with bags in hand. He wondered if he had upset her somehow, if the topic of the woman in the picture was something she disliked talking about. He watched as she shrugged the bag off her shoulder and laid everything down on the couch. When she turned to face him, her expression was grim.

"She was my adoptive mother for a while. She took me in, gave me nice clothes and taught me proper manners," she smiled at that, remembering events from the past. "She was strict, but easy to get along with. She sent me to school, and saw to it that I had whatever I needed. She taught me to trust grownups…being abandoned in the woods would give a poor kid insecurities, you know? I was probably the biggest pain in the ass when she first took me into her home, but she did the best she could with me. In return for everything she did for me, I broke her heart."

"What do you mean?" Remington asked after a moment of silence.

"I only stayed with her for maybe a year," Rosette admitted. "No matter how nice she was to me, I was always very bitter towards her. I hated her for adopting me, for…taking me away from my brother."

"She adopted just you, not your brother too?"

Rosette looked away, her arms crossed and her lips set in a firm line. "She only wanted one child. A girl. She had no need of a boy, nor did she want him. She was only ever interested in adopting me, and although I fought it at first, I gave in at the end. I visited Joshua quite frequently, almost every day. She didn't seem to mind at all, she understood that we were really close." She paused to sigh, slumping down onto the couch. "Then someone adopted Joshua…and the visits stopped. So I just…I ran away. I haven't seen her since."

"And what of Joshua?" Remington wondered aloud.

"It took a long time for me to settle…I was sixteen, it was hard to get a job. It was even harder to get a place to stay…I spent many a night outside in the cold. Luckily for me, I found a job and built a life of my own from there. Joshua ran away with me after that, and we were together for a short while…but he wanted to continue with his schooling, and his adoptive parents were paying for it. He wanted a proper education so that he could take care of me…so slowly we grew apart, I guess. In the end, I wanted to finish my own schooling myself, and I'm…I mean, I _was_ going to school…I took out a loan, and I was working whenever I could.."

She stood suddenly and walked over to the telephone, checking her missed calls. Sure enough, there were quite a few on her Caller ID box, and three messages left on her message machine. Most of them were from work, while the others were from school or from people she knew from school.

Rosette pressed the button on the message machine and it started to play the messages it had recorded in her absence.

"Rosette, this is Ted. Where are you girl? You didn't show up for your shift last night. That's not like you at all – I don't think you've ever even been late! Give me a call when you get in." There was only a small pause and then the next message started. "This is the second night you haven't shown up Rosette. I hired a new girl today – better watch it or she'll take your place!" There was a chuckle and then, "I know something must be wrong, so when you're ready, give me a call. You're my best employee and you can come back whenever you're ready." The message ended.

The last message was from the school. "Miss Christopher, I am calling to remind you of our policy. Unless you can supply a doctor's note, you are only allowed to miss out on five school days. You've been absent for two days now and we haven't heard from you. I would hate to see a young bright girl such as yourself be kicked out of our school." There was a pause, and then the message ended.

Rosette sat on the couch, running a hand through her hair until her hands rested on her forehead and stayed there. Looking at the floor from under her palms, the realization that everything she had worked so hard for was falling apart hit her like a ton of bricks. With a shaky breath she looked up at Father Remington. "I guess the life I was living is pretty much over," she said quietly.

Remington sat next to her, unsure of what to say. What could you possibly say to someone whose brother was missing, who pretty much had to go into hiding, was on the verge of losing her job, and getting kicked out of school? Anything that came to his mind he pushed aside. He was quite sure she didn't want to hear any of it at the moment. So, instead, he chose to change the subject.

"Are you ready to go?"

She nodded silently, glancing over her apartment.

"Yes," she replied.

--

Father Remington had spent his whole night looking for what was left of the Magdalene Order. His first impulse had been to check out the location it used to be situated at. He had found nothing there but an old abandoned institute. The building had not been used in quite a few years, and the church had all but fallen apart. Without anyone to take care of it the ceiling had caved in, smashing statues and pews. The inside of the building had been just as bad. It looked like someone had tried to fix it up sometime in the past but had given up. The floorboards creaked under his feet and in some places, they were missing. It was a lost cause; it was clear the Magdalene Order had not resided there in a few centuries.

He had wandered after that, seeking out any local priest who would be able to give him any information. Most of them were too young to remember anything about the Order, or had not read about it in their studies. He wasn't sure which was the most likely. One priest, however, told him to seek out the Hendric Foundation located on the outskirts of the city. It was an old company, run by the descendants of someone who had once worked with the Magdalene Order. Or, that's what the priest had heard, anyway.

He had found the old building right where the old man had told him it would be. In the middle of the night it didn't look like much – a red stone building surrounded by trees and vines. A black, menacing looking gate surrounded the premises and Father Remington had been doubtful that anyone even lived inside. He'd found an old security box on the side of the gate and, with a hesitant finger, he'd pressed the button and received no answer at first. Then, the gate had swung open on its creaky hinges to allow him to enter.

By the end of the night, he had found what he was looking for.

Now, he stood in front of those exact bars that he had stood in front of the night before, only this time he was not alone. Rosette stood next to him, her bag left on the muddy ground as she struggled to pull her small jacket closer around her shoulders. Her hood was pulled up over her long blonde hair, but it hung low into her eyes and, not for the first time, she raised her hand and pulled it back out of her face. It had started raining not long after they had left her apartment and they were both soaked to the bone.

"Is this the place?" She asked through the downpour, and her voice was low and almost unheard through the rain.

"This is it," he replied, lifting a hand and pressing the button.

The gates opened, allowing them to enter.

"It doesn't look like much," she frowned in return.

"That's what I first thought," he smiled at her. She grabbed her bag and followed him through the gates. "But, we're at the right place. I met the owner of the Hendric Foundation last night – they're mostly a company interested in advanced science and machinery – but apparently they worked for the Magdalene Order in the past, and when the Order all but fell apart, the people who were left in the Order came here. They've been a joint organization since then."

Rosette raised a brow, looking up at the older man through her wet bangs. "And they can help me?"

"They will be able to protect you. I have not yet fully explained the situation but they have agreed to help you in any way they can."

Looking up at the old building as they neared it, Rosette asked, "Will they be able to train me?"

Father Remington was silent for a moment as they reached the door. "If that is what you wish…"

"I do," she looked ahead in determination. "I will train and find my brother."

Anything that the older man was about to say was cut off by the opening of the door. A strange woman with light silver hair stood in the doorway, looking at her guests with concerned eyes. "Oh my, please come in right away. You two must be soaked." She moved out of the way allowing them entrance. Once they were inside and the door was shut firmly behind them, the lady signaled to a nearby maid to get her some towels.

"Mrs. Hendric, it's nice to meet you again," Father Remington smiled at the lady.

"Please, call me Donna. If you are to stay here I don't want us to be so formal with each other," She smiled at Rosette. "Donna will do just fine."

Now that Rosette was inside and out of the cold rain, she lowered her hood and took a look around her surroundings. While the outside of the building looked shabby, the inside was anything but. It looked almost like some sort of hotel, with a massive foyer and a seating area off to the side with a glowing fire. The carpet was red, and off to the left it lead to a giant stairway that lead upstairs. Another set of stairs lead downwards, but her attention was soon drawn to the lady in front of her.

Donna Hendric looked no older than forty, with long silver hair that ran down her back and almost to the floor. She was thin but healthy looking and she wore a light purple dress that matched her lavender eyes. Rosette thought she looked quite beautiful and wondered what a woman like her was doing in such a building.

"You must be Rosette Christopher," the woman smiled down at her. "Father Remington has told me about you."

Looking at the blonde man, Rosette silently wondered just _what_ he'd told Mrs. Hendric about her, considering they'd only just met not even two days ago. Biting her lip, Rosette answered, "Thank you for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it."

Mrs. Hendric gave Rosette a warm smile, "My dear, it's no problem at all. You may stay with us as long as you wish."

A deep booming voice interrupted whatever was about to be said next.

"Father Remington! You made it here alright, I see!"

They turned to see a man making his way towards them. With a slightly balding head and black hair turning gray, Rosette decided the man was a few years older than the woman before her. He was a short, but fairly large man, but his face looked kind. Rosette liked him immediately.

"And this is the girl?" The man asked, having seen Remington's nod. "My, she's pretty. You could almost rival my oldest daughter," he said with a grin and a wink before holding out his hand. "Charles Hendric, at your service. Welcome to the Hendric Foundation."

Rosette shook the outstretched hand, and before her hand could drop back to her side Mrs. Hendric had her hand on both of Rosette's shoulders. The maid had just returned with the towels. "You must be chilled to the bone. Come, I will show you to your new room and you may get settled in and changed."

Before allowing herself to be pushed in the direction of the stairs, Rosette looked to Father Remington who nodded in approval.

"You're going to enjoy your stay here," Donna Hendric smiled and continued to chatter on as she led Rosette up the red carpeted stairs and to her new room.

To Be Continued…


End file.
